Climate control system and associated methods

ABSTRACT

A climate control system is described that can include a thermal battery ( 100 ) with a heating bed ( 110 ) and cooling bed ( 120 ) and a conditioned air manifold adapted to direct heat transfer fluid across at least one of the heating bed ( 110 ) and the cooling bed ( 120 ) to condition inlet air. A method of controlling climate in an enclosure can be provided by contemporaneously generating a heating effect and a cooling effect from a reversible thermo chemical reaction and selectively directing thermal flows from a reversible thermo chemical reaction to the enclosure.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is related to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/066,753, filed Oct. 21, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/119,595, filed Feb. 23, 2015, which are each incorporated herein byreference.

GOVERNMENT INTEREST

This invention was made with government support under Grant No.DE-AR0000173 awarded by U.S. Department of Energy. The government hascertain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are usedextensively in both buildings and vehicles to control climate. Mostcommon HVAC systems utilize compression and expansion of a cycledrefrigerant using a compressor and pump. However, this convenience canbe extremely energy consumptive in both buildings and vehicles. OtherHVAC systems include evaporative coolers, heat pumps, and the like.However, each system has limitations in terms of performance and/orcost. Hence, there is a need for improved HVAC systems that canadequately control climate while reducing the energy consumptionrequired to operate the system.

SUMMARY

A climate control system can include a thermal battery and a heatexchange module. The thermal battery can include at least one heatingbed and at least one cooling bed that are fluidly connected to oneanother. The heating bed includes a compacted metal salt and the coolingbed includes a volatile polar compound, which form a reversiblethermochemical reaction system when fluidly connected. The battery canalso include a flow control mechanism adapted to selectively allow fluidto flow between the heating bed and the cooling bed. The heat exchangemodule can be thermally associated with at least one heating bed and atleast one cooling bed and can be adapted to condition an inlet air.

A method of controlling climate within an enclosure includingcontemporaneously generating a heating effect and a cooling effect froma reversible thermochemical reaction and selectively directing thermalflows from the reversible thermochemical reaction to increase ordecrease a temperature within the enclosure. The reversiblethermochemical reaction can have an endothermic reaction and acomplimentary exothermic reaction that are thermally remote from oneanother, yet fluidly connected via a selectively controllable flowcontrol.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention so that the detailed description thereof thatfollows may be better understood, and so that the present contributionto the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the presentinvention will become clearer from the following detailed description ofthe invention, taken with the accompanying drawings and claims, or maybe learned by the practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D are schematic representations of various operating modes ofan embodiment of a climate control system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the heating bed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a climate control systemincluding a heat exchange module.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a climate control systemincluding a turbine and storage battery.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a climate control systemincluding a control module and a communication module.

FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of contemporaneous temperaturesachieved at each of the heating bed and the cooling bed of oneembodiment of a climate control system.

FIG. 7 is a graphical representation of the correlation between rate ofabsorption of a volatile polar compound into a compacted metal salt andthe porosity of the compacted metal salt.

These drawings are provided to illustrate various aspects of theinvention and are not intended to be limiting of the scope in terms ofdimensions, materials, configurations, arrangements or proportionsunless otherwise limited by the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should beunderstood that other embodiments may be realized and that variouschanges to the invention may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Thus, the following more detaileddescription of the embodiments of the present invention is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is presented forpurposes of illustration only and not limitation to describe thefeatures and characteristics of the present invention, to set forth thebest mode of operation of the invention, and to sufficiently enable oneskilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the scope ofthe present invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims.

Definitions

In describing and claiming the present invention, the followingterminology will be used.

The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to“a particle” includes reference to one or more of such materials andreference to “subjecting” refers to one or more such steps.

As used herein with respect to an identified property or circumstance,“substantially” refers to a degree of deviation that is sufficientlysmall so as to not measurably detract from the identified property orcircumstance. The exact degree of deviation allowable may in some casesdepend on the specific context.

As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures orelements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent”may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near orclose to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exactdegree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositionalelements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list forconvenience. However, these lists should be construed as though eachmember of the list is individually identified as a separate and uniquemember. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as ade facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based ontheir presentation in a common group without indications to thecontrary.

Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be presentedherein in a range format. It is to be understood that such range formatis used merely for convenience and brevity and should be interpretedflexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited asthe limits of the range, but also to include all the individualnumerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if eachnumerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. For example, anumerical range of about 1 to about 4.5 should be interpreted to includenot only the explicitly recited limits of 1 to about 4.5, but also toinclude individual numerals such as 2, 3, 4, and sub-ranges such as 1 to3, 2 to 4, etc. The same principle applies to ranges reciting only onenumerical value, such as “less than about 4.5,” which should beinterpreted to include all of the above-recited values and ranges.Further, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadthof the range or the characteristic being described.

Any steps recited in any method or process claims may be executed in anyorder and are not limited to the order presented in the claims.Means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only beemployed where for a specific claim limitation all of the followingconditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for”is expressly recited; and b) a corresponding function is expresslyrecited. The structure, material or acts that support the means-plusfunction are expressly recited in the description herein. Accordingly,the scope of the invention should be determined solely by the appendedclaims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the descriptions andexamples given herein.

Climate Control System and Associated Methods

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are importantin controlling the ambient temperature of both buildings and vehicles.However, operation of HVAC systems in both buildings and vehicles can behighly energy-consumptive. This can be especially evident in electricvehicles and long-haul tractor-trailers.

Current electric vehicles use resistive heating and an electricallydriven air conditioning compressor to provide cabin heating and cooling,respectively. The energy consumption to operate this type of HVAC systemin electric vehicles can, in many cases, reduce the driving range up to40%.

In long-haul tractor trailers and other vehicles with internalcombustion engines, cabin heating is provided from excess engine heat,consuming no extra energy from the engine. However, cabin cooling isprovided by an air conditioning compressor powered by the engine,consuming only a small portion of the energy from the engine. However,the engine must be running to operate such an HVAC system, requiringcontinuous combustion of fuel. On long trips, these long-haul driversoccasionally need to pull off the road to rest. However, as describedpreviously, the drivers must leave the engine running to operate theHVAC system and achieve a comfortable climate. This can be very costlyto the driver and the environment. Hence, there is a need for improvedheating and cooling systems that are efficient but less energyconsumptive.

Thermal batteries can be used in HVAC systems as an alternative toconventional HVAC systems that are powered electrically or by thecombustion of fuels. These batteries can store energy from a variety ofsources and release the energy on demand in a controlled manner asthermal energy.

Additionally, thermal batteries are generally very portable and could beused in a variety of settings including electric vehicles, long-haultractor-trailers, camping trailers, tents, buildings, rooms, and othersuitable areas. The portability of thermal batteries can be advantageouswhen conditions are such that no HVAC system is necessary, and,therefore, the thermal battery can be stored remotely until it isneeded.

Thermal batteries can be used in stand-alone HVAC systems or in asupplemental HVAC system. For example, a thermal battery can be used inan electric vehicle as the sole HVAC system so that the electric batterycan be preserved to extend the driving range of the vehicle. In anotherexample, a thermal battery can be used to precondition the cabin of theelectric vehicle to an appropriate temperature prior to operating theelectrically powered HVAC system of the vehicle, thus reducing theenergy consumption from the electric battery. In another example, athermal battery can be used to replace either the heating or coolingfunction of a traditional HVAC system. In another example, a thermalbattery can be used in addition to a traditional HVAC system to providesupplementary heating and/or cooling.

Accordingly, a climate control system is described herein that includesa thermal battery and a heat exchange module. FIGS. 1A-1D can provide ageneral overview of one embodiment of the thermal battery of the climatecontrol system and the general operation thereof. As illustrated inFIGS. 1A-1D, the thermal battery 100 of the climate control system canhave at least one heating bed or cell 110, at least one cooling bed orcell 120, and a flow control mechanism 130. The heating bed 110 and thecooling bed 120 can be fluidly connected to one another to form areversible thermochemical reaction system. The flow control mechanism130 is adapted to control the fluid connection by selectively allowingfluid to flow between the at least one heating bed and the at least onecooling bed, thus maintaining control of the reversible thermochemicalreaction system.

When the flow control mechanism 130, such as a conduit valve, is openedto allow fluid flow between the heating bed 110 and the cooling bed 120,a heating effect and a cooling effect are contemporaneously produced,respectively. This occurs as a result of the contemporaneous exothermicadsorption/absorption of a volatile polar compound from the cooling bed120 onto/into the compacted metal salt within the heating bed 110, andthe corresponding endothermic evaporation of the volatile polar compoundwithin the cooling bed 120.

When a cooling effect is desirable, cooled inlet air conditioned by thecooling bed 120 can be directed toward a desired enclosure and theheated inlet air conditioned by the heating bed 110 can be vented to anarea outside the desired temperature-controlled enclosure. Conversely,when a heating effect is desirable, heated inlet air conditioned by theheating bed 110 can be directed toward the desired enclosure and thecooled inlet air conditioned by the cooling bed 120 can be vented to anarea outside the desired enclosure. The climate control system can beadapted to provide a heating or cooling effect to any number ofenclosures, including a passenger compartment, such as an automobilecabin, a cargo container, a room, a building, a camping trailer, a tent,or any other suitable enclosure. When the thermal battery 100 of theclimate control system needs to be recharged, the heating bed can beheated to drive the volatile polar compound away from the compactedmetal salt and back toward the cooling bed. The flow control mechanismcan then be closed to store the battery for later use or left open forimmediate use.

More specifically, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. lA shows a thermalbattery 100 in cooling mode. In this particular embodiment, the flowcontrol mechanism 130 can be in an open position to allow fluid to flowbetween the heating bed 110 and the cooling bed 120. More specifically,a volatile polar compound from the cooling bed can flow to the heatingbed to produce a simultaneous heating and cooling effect in the thermalbattery. The fluid flow can be facilitated by a connecting conduit 140or other suitable configuration which allows fluid flow from the coolingbed to the heating bed. The air, such as an outside air, that is cooledby the cooling bed can be directed toward an automobile cabin or otherdesired area. The air that is heated by the heating bed can be directedaway from the automobile cabin or other desired area, such as to anexterior location.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1B shows the thermal battery 100 inheating mode. This embodiment can operate in the same manner as theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, except that the cooled air can bedirected outside and the heated air can be directed to an automobilecabin or other desired area. Thus, in this heating mode, the exothermicand endothermic reactions are the same as in the cooling mode.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1C shows a thermal battery 100 inrecharging mode. In this embodiment, external heat is added to theheating bed 110 to drive the volatile polar compound back to the coolingbed 120.

The desorption of the polar volatile compound from the compacted metalsalt can be stepwise. In one example, where the polar volatile compoundis ammonia and the compacted metal salt is MgCl₂, the desorption canoccur as follows:

MgCl₂(NH₃)₆=MgCl₂(NH₃)₂ +4NH₃   (main step)

MgCl₂(NH₃)₂=MgCl₂(NH₃)+NH₃   (minor step 1)

MgCl₂(NH₃)=MgCl₂+NH₃   (minor step 2)

In one aspect, when the heating bed is heated, the pressure within theheating bed can increase to a level that exceeds the pressure in thecooling bed, thus facilitating the movement of the polar volatilecompound back to the cooling bed. Here, the flow control mechanism 130remains open to allow fluid to flow between the two beds. Thecondensation of the heated polar volatile compound in the cooling bedcan be facilitated by directing heated air away from the cooling bed toan external environment or other suitable location. The climate controlsystem can include a recharging module or mechanism that is controllableby electronic controls on the system or via a remote device (not shown).

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1D shows a thermal battery 100 instoring mode. In this embodiment, the heating bed 110 has been heated toremove all, or substantially all, of the volatile polar compound fromthe heating bed. The volatile polar compound has been collected in thecooling bed 120 and the flow control mechanism 130 has been closed toprevent fluid flow between the heating and cooling beds. Thus, anoperator can open the fluid control mechanism 130 at any suitable timeto produce a desired heating or cooling effect, as illustrated in FIGS.1A-1B.

As previously described, each cooling bed or cell of the thermal batterycan include a volatile polar compound. A suitable volatile polarcompound generally can be a compound that endothermically evaporates atstandard temperature and pressure, thus providing a cooling effect. Avariety of suitable volatile polar compounds can be used. Non-limitingexamples of suitable volatile polar compounds can include ammonia,water, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, acetone, acetonitrile,and combinations thereof. In one aspect, ammonia can be the volatilepolar compound.

In one alternative aspect, each heating bed or cell of the thermalbattery can include a compacted metal salt pellet or disc. A variety ofcompacted metal salts can be used in the current technology. In oneaspect, the compacted metal salt is a metal chloride such as MgCl₂,MnCl₂, CaCl₂, NiCl₂, and combinations thereof. In another aspect, thecompacted metal salt can be an ammonia complex or mixture thereof, suchas MgCl₂(NH₃)₆, MnCl₂(NH₃)₆, CaCl₂(NH₃)₈, NiCl₂(NH₃)₆, and combinationsthereof. The previously mentioned metal salts are only examples of metalchloride salts that can be used with the current technology and are notintended to be exhaustive. There are many other metal chloride saltsthat can be used separately or in combinations, including in combinationwith the previously mentioned metal chloride salts. Such metal chloridesalts can include SrCl₂, ZnCl₂, CoCl₂, FeCl₂, and other metal chloridesand mixtures thereof. Metal salts other than metal chlorides can also beused, such as metal bromide salts, metal iodide salts, metal perchloratesalts, metal nitrate salts, metal sulfate salts, metal phosphate salts,and other suitable metal salts and mixtures thereof that are capable ofexothermically adsorbing or absorbing the corresponding polar volatilecompound. The heating bed produces a heating effect via an exothermicadsorption or absorption of the volatile polar compound onto or into thecompacted metal salt. Table 1 includes some examples of relevanttemperatures and pressures that can be considered when selecting anappropriate compacted metal salt.

TABLE 1 Some relevant temperatures and pressures for a thermal batteryusing various salts NiCl₂ MgCl₂ CoCl₂ FeCl₂ MnCl₂ SrBr₂ highest heatingbed 200 172 159 137 106 92 temperature at normal discharging, ° C.normal discharging 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 pressure, bar highestrequired 275 243 227 202 166 149 recharging temperature, ° C. highestrequired 23.8 23.8 23.8 23.8 23.8 23.8 recharging pressure, bar

The compacted pellets or discs of the metal salt can be prepared using asuitable pellet press, such as an electric hydraulic pellet press, orother suitable method to compact the metal salts. In one aspect, thecompacted pellet or disc from the metal salt can be prepared after themetal salt has already formed a complex with the volatile polarcompound, such as with MgCl₂(NH₃)₆, MnCl₂(NH₃)₆, CaCl₂(NH₃)₈, andNiCl₂(NH₃)₆. Additionally, the compacted metal salt can include otheradditives such as expandable graphite. For example, a metal salt, orammonia-complexed metal salt, can be mixed with from 10 wt % to 30 wt %expandable graphite and hydraulically or otherwise pressed into acompacted pellet or disc to be included in the heating bed. In oneaspect, the metal salt or ammonia-complexed metal salt can be mixed withfrom 15 wt % to 25 wt % expandable graphite. In one aspect, the metalsalt or ammonia-complexed metal salt can be mixed with from 18 wt % to22 wt % expandable graphite, or about 20 wt %.

Additionally, the compacted metal salt can have a relatively lowporosity. Desirable ranges of porosity can typically be from 0% to 40% ,0% to 30% , or from 0% to 20%. In a further aspect, the porosity of thecompacted metal salt can be 10% or less, 8% or less, 5% or less, 3% orless, or 1% or less. In some cases, compacted metal salts with lowerporosities can absorb ammonia, or other volatile polar compounds, morequickly than those with higher porosities. This is contrary to theprevious understanding that the permeation of the metal salt structurewas the rate-limiting step of absorption and that a higher porosity waspreferable.

The compacted metal salt pellets can be packed in the heating bed at apacking density between 60 and 99%. In one aspect, the packing densitycan be between 70 and 99%. In one aspect the packing density can bebetween 80 and 99%. In one aspect, the packing density can be between 90and 99%. In one aspect, the packing density can be between 92 and 98%.In one aspect, the compacted metal salt can be packed in the heating bedat a packing density of about 95%.

Alternatively, the metal salt can be dissolved in a solvent such aswater, injected into the heating bed, dried, and then exposed to thepolar gas for subsequent absorption. This can be particularly useful ifopen cell metal foams are used for enhancing the heated bed effectivethermal conductivity.

Because the heat transfer of the compacted metal salt pellets or discscan be the rate limiting step for the overall process of absorption anddesorption of the polar volatile compound, it can be desirable toconstruct a heating bed that can enable excellent heat transfer betweenthe pellets and a heat transfer source, both for recharging and thermaleffects. FIG. 2 illustrates a segment of one embodiment of a heating bedor cell 210. As illustrated in FIG. 2, each heating bed or cell 210 ofthe thermal battery can be packed with compacted metal salt pellets ordiscs 212. The compacted pellets or discs 212 can be packed into avariety of suitable containers, such as a stainless steel tube or othersuitable container. This particular embodiment of the heating bed orcell can allow both production of a heating effect and recharging byaddition of heat. The heating bed 210 can be subdivided vertically andhorizontally with thin metal plates or fins 214 to facilitate heatexchange and the salt discs are tightly packed between the plates. Inone example, the plates can be made of nickel-plated copper ornickel-plated aluminum. However, a variety of suitable materials forheat exchange can be used, such as materials that are resistant tocorrosion by the polar volatile compound and metal salt can be used.Additionally, small porous tubing 216 can be spaced throughout theheating bed to allow transfer of the volatile polar compound to and fromthe salt discs. This porous tubing 216 can be made from stainless steelor other suitable material. Additional tubing 218 can be placed withinthe heating bed to allow the heat transfer fluid to be cycled betweenthe heating bed and a heat exchanger. This tubing can also be made fromstainless steel or other suitable material for heat exchange. Resistanceheating wires 217 can also be spaced throughout the heating bed 210 forrecharging the thermal battery. Recharging can be accomplished byapplying heat to the compacted metal salt discs 212 via the resistanceheating wires 217 to achieve a temperature of about 80 to 250° C. withinthe heating bed for about 60 to 80 minutes to drive the volatile polarcompound back toward the cooling bed.

As previously mentioned, the heating bed(s) and cooling bed(s) can bemade from a variety of suitable materials. For example, the cooling bedcan be made of stainless steel, aluminum, or other suitable material tohold the polar volatile compound. The heating bed can be made ofstainless steel, nickel-plated aluminum, or other suitable material. Inone aspect, the cooling bed can be enclosed or enclosable, thus forminga cooling enclosure as part of a closed, reversible system.Additionally, the heating bed can also be enclosed or enclosable, thusforming a heating enclosure as a part of a closed, reversible system.

The heating bed(s) and cooling bed(s) can be connected by at least oneconnecting conduit and the flow control mechanism can include at leastone conduit valve within the connect conduit. The conduit valve can beselectively adjustable to control fluid flow rates between the heatingbed and the cooling bed. Adjustment of the flow rates can control howlong the thermal battery will last and the degree of cooling and heatingeffects achieved by the thermal battery. The connecting conduit can forma closed system with the at least one heating bed and the at least onecooling bed. The connecting conduit or conduit system can be made ofsuitable gas-tight tubing and associated connections and fittings.Appropriate tubing and fittings can be made of stainless steel, brass,copper, aluminum, nickel-plated aluminum, nickel-plated copper, or othersuitable tubing. The conduit valve can comprise a suitable pneumaticvalve, such as a solenoid valve. The valve can be adapted to have onlysubstantially open and substantially closed positions, or it can beadapted to have a plurality of positions to allow a plurality of fluidflow rates between the cooling bed and the heating bed.

One embodiment of the climate control system is illustrated by FIG. 3.Because it may not be desirable for the heated or cooled air to havedirect contact with the heating bed or cooling bed, use of heatexchangers can allow for efficient transfer of heat to and from therespective beds. As a general overview, the cooling bed can be connectedto a circulation loop and an associated pump, which is adapted tocirculate a first heat transfer fluid between the cooling bed and afirst heat exchanger. The heating bed can have densely packed ammoniasalt discs and is connected to a separate circulation loop andassociated pump adapted to circulate a second heat transfer fluidbetween the heating bed and a second heat exchanger. The refrigerantheat transfer vapor can flow to either a condenser inside theconditioned space for heating or through a turbine for power generation.The vapors flowing from the exit of the turbine then flow to the insidecondenser if heating is desired, or to the outside heat exchanger ifcooling is desired. The first and second heat transfer fluids can be thesame or different, e.g. may be optimized against expected operatingtemperatures. The system depicted in FIG. 3 also has a connectingconduit with an associated conduit valve. Additionally, a fan can beoperatively associated with each of the respective heat exchangers tocompel heated or cooled air away from the heat exchangers toward adesired area such as in exhaust manifold or other ducting.

More specifically, the climate control system 300 can include a heatexchange module, generally denoted as 350, which is thermally associatedwith the heating bed(s) 310 and the cooling bed(s) 320 of the thermalbattery, and can be adapted to condition an inlet air. The heat exchangemodule 350 can be adapted to circulate at least one heat transfer fluidbetween at least one of the heating bed 310 and the cooling bed 320. Theheating bed and the cooling bed can be fluidly connected to one anotherby a variety of suitable structures. In one aspect, the heating bed andthe cooling bed can be fluidly connected via at least one connectingconduit 340. The connecting conduit can include a suitable flow controlmechanism, such as solenoid valve 330. A heating wire or other heatexchanger 360 can be thermally associated with the heating bed 310 forrecharging of the thermal battery. In one embodiment, the heat exchangemodule includes a single loop that circulates a heat transfer fluidbetween a heat exchanger and both the heating bed and the cooling bed(not shown). In one aspect, the heat transfer fluid can be selectivelydirected to interact with either the heating bed or the cooling bed, or,alternatively, directed to interact with the heating and cooling beds atdifferent times, to provide a heating effect or a cooling effect (notshown). In another embodiment, the heat exchange module includesseparate loops that circulate a first heat transfer fluid between afirst heat exchanger 358 and the heating bed 310 and a second heattransfer fluid between a second heat exchanger 359 and the cooling bed320. The heat exchangers can also include at least one pump, such as 355a and 355 b. The pumps can be energy efficient or low energy pumps. Inone example, the pumps can require less than 0.24 kW for a thermalbattery with a cooling/heating capacity of 2.5 kWh. Thus the energypenalty of using indirect heat transfer via the heat exchange module canbe small.

The first and second heat transfer fluids can be the same or they can betwo separate fluids. A variety of suitable heat transfer fluids can beused. In one aspect, the heat transfer fluid can include awater/ethylene glycol mixture, such as about 60% by volume of ethyleneglycol in water. In one aspect, the heat transfer fluid can include amixture of diphenylethane and alkylated aromatics, such as DOWTHERM Qfrom Dow Chemical Company. In one aspect, the heat transfer fluid caninclude a pentafluoropropane, such as R245, and/or a tetrafluoroethane,such as R134a, which can be used for either hot or cold sideconditioning. For example, the liquid heat transfer fluid can be pumpedto an air-heated evaporator for air conditioning or to an externalair-heated evaporator for heating applications. Similarly, a terphenylheat transfer fluid, such as THERMINOL 66, can be used to transfer heatto and from the heating bed to condition an inlet air. In anotherexample, this fluid can transfer heat from a truck exhaust stream torecharge the thermal battery or to a third heat exchanger that heats andvaporizes R245 or R134a.

The heat exchange module 350 can also include a conditioned air manifold352 adapted to direct conditioned air into an enclosure. Suitableenclosures can include a passenger compartment, such as an automobilecabin, and/or a cargo container, a room, a building, a camping trailer,a tent, or any other suitable enclosure. The conditioned air can bedirected into an enclosure via at least one of convection and forced airby a blower, such as fans 357 a and 357 b. The conditioned air manifold352 can also include at least one duct 354 in thermal communication witha heat transfer fluid. The duct 354 can be adapted to selectively adjustthe conditioned inlet air to achieve a desired thermal effect within theenclosure. The duct can be adjusted with a valve, such as butterflyvalve 351, or any other suitable mechanism to selectively propagateappropriately conditioned air to achieve a desired thermal effect. Inone aspect, the duct 354 and valve can be adjusted to conduct inlet airconditioned by the heating bed 310 toward the enclosure. In one aspect,the duct and valve can be adjusted to conduct inlet air conditioned bythe cooling bed 320 toward the enclosure. The duct and valve can beselectively adjusted to provide thermal flows from only the heating bed,only the cooling bed, or combinations of both to obtain the desiredthermal effect. Additionally, the conditioned air manifold can includeinlet/outlet connectors that connect to a ducting system alreadyassociated with the enclosure. In one aspect, the conditioned airmanifold can have inlet/outlet connectors that allow the climate controlsystem to be a plug-play system. Undesired thermal flows can optionallybe directed to an area away from the target enclosure or enclosures.Additionally, at least one fan or other blower, such as fans 357 a and357 b, can be associated with the duct 354 to adjust the rate at whichthe desired thermal effect is conducted through the duct toward theenclosure or desired area of the enclosure. Optionally, a fan can beused to adjust the rate at which undesired thermal flows are ventedoutside the enclosure. The conditioned air manifold can also include anoutlet vent 356 adapted to direct the conditioned air into theenclosure.

As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the climate control systemcan also be used to produce and store electrical power. The climatecontrol system can include thermal battery 400, which includes a heatingbed 410 and a cooling bed 420. The heating bed and the cooling bed canbe fluidly connected via connecting conduit 440. Connecting conduit 440can include a flow control mechanism such as valve 430. Connectingconduit 440 can be used in the normal manner as described above toproduce a desired heating and/or cooling effect by opening valve 430.

Power production can be provided through the incorporation of an organicRankine cycle between the heating bed 410 and the cooling bed 420 via asecondary turbine loop. Conduits 442 and 443 a serve as heat exchangersto either evaporate a secondary turbine loop working fluid, or condensethe working fluid, respectively. A liquid pump 450 is placed along theconduit between the cooling bed and the heating bed to circulate theworking fluid through the secondary turbine loop. The secondary workingfluid can be a high-pressure refrigerant which is vaporized in theheating bed 410. The high pressure vapor then enters the turbine 470 topropel the rotor assembly of the turbine 470 to produce electrical powerwhich can be stored in a battery 472 or used to augment power to thevehicle wheels or other electrical systems. In one optional aspect, aturbine can be associated with connecting conduit 440, or anotherconnecting conduit, so that the volatile polar compound can propel therotary assembly of the turbine during recharging. A combination of bothsystems can be used. For example, the system can be used as aheating-cooling system, a power production system, or a hybrid systemwhere both HVAC and power is produced.

Optionally, the third heat exchanger 462 can be used for both rechargingand accelerating the endothermic evaporation of the volatile polarcompound. In another example, a turbine can be operatively associatedwith at least one of the first and second heat exchangers in order toproduce electrical power. For example, the third heat exchanger 462 canbe thermally associated with the second heat exchanger (not shown). Thesecond heat exchanger can be thermally associated with the cooling bedand can include a refrigerant. The second heat exchanger can also beexposed to the ambient air to condense the refrigerant. The third heatexchanger can add heat to the second heat exchanger and vaporize therefrigerant. The refrigerant can be directed toward a turbine that isoperatively connected to the second heat exchanger. As the refrigeranttravels towards a condenser, it can propel the rotary assembly of theturbine and produce electrical power. Optionally, a heat exchanger 464can be used to introduce heat into heating bed 410. Suitable heat can berecovered from a heat source such as, but not limited to, engine heat,brakes, exhaust, and the like. Such heat recovery can be used tosupplement power production by adding energy to the organic Rankinecycle described herein. The electrical power can be used to charge astorage battery 472, a set of batteries, power electric motors to propela vehicle, and/or provide auxiliary short-term power to devices in avehicle cabin. Thus, this electrical power can be used immediately orstored. Accordingly, a storage battery can be operatively connected tothe turbine to store produced electricity.

As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the climate control system500 can also include a communication module 582 and a controller module580 adapted to control the thermochemical reaction between the heatingbed 510 and the cooling bed 520. The communication module 582 is adaptedto receive communication from a remote device, which can be a hand-helddevice, such as a smart device 582, or other remote device. Thiscommunication can be wireless using any suitable wireless communication,such as (but not limited to) radio, cellular, optical, electromagnetic,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and IEEE 802.11 communications. However, thecommunication can also be made using physical wire connections or acombination of physical wires and wireless communication. For example,the climate control system can be physically connected to a thermostatconsole within a vehicle or building, but can also include a wirelesstransceiver to receive and/or transmit wireless communications.

The controller module 580 can be operably connected to at least one ofthe flow control mechanism, such as an electrically actuated valve 530,and the conditioned air manifold (not shown). In one aspect, thecontroller module can include controls to enable power input forrecharging, control recharging temperature, control anopening/closing/adjusting of the flow control mechanism, and the like.Additionally, the controller module 580 is adapted to communicate withthe communication module 582 to control one or both of the reaction ofthe thermochemical reaction system and the flows of the conditioned air.Communication between the controller module 580 and the communicationmodule 582 can be wireless or it can be facilitated by physicalconnection of wires, cables, or other suitable connection.

Remote control of the system can be advantageous for a variety ofoperations, such as preconditioning the target enclosure or enclosureswith a desired thermal effect. For example, an electric vehicle that hasbeen sitting in the sun can be preconditioned with a cooling effect bysending a wireless signal from a remote device to the thermal batterysystem to begin cooling the cabin of the electric vehicle. Not only doesthis precondition the cabin with a comfortable climate, but it willreduce the energy consumption of the electric battery to cool the cabinwith the electrically powered HVAC of the vehicle.

In another embodiment, the climate control system can be a modularsystem. The modular system can have at least one pair of inlet andoutlet connectors adapted to operably connect to a heat transfer systemin a vehicle, room, or the like. In one aspect, the system can have twopairs of inlet and outlet connections, one pair for the heating bed andone pair for the cooling bed. The system can be easily connected anddisconnected to the heat transfer system with any suitable connectionssuch as quick-connect fittings, cam-lock fittings, and the like.

The modular system can have various numbers of heating and cooling beds.In one aspect, the modular system can be adapted to accommodate andfluidly connect with additional plug-and-play heating and cooling bedsor thermal batteries. This can allow a user to achieve greater or moreprolonged thermal effects from the climate control system, as desirable.In one aspect, the controller module of the climate control system cancontrol and synchronize additional heating and cooling beds or thermalbatteries that are connected to the system. For example, each heatingbed, cooling bed, or thermal battery can be synchronized to operate andrecharge at intervals that will allow continuous production of thermaleffects with minimal to no down time. In one aspect, the controllermodule can instruct at least one group of heating and cooling beds toproduce desired thermal effects while at least one group of heating andcooling beds are recharging. In one aspect, each of the assigned groupsof heating and cooling beds or thermal batteries can be in variousstages of recharging/discharging, each of which is controlled by thecontroller module. In one aspect, more than one heating bed can befluidly connected to a single cooling bed. In one aspect, a singleheating bed can be fluidly connected to more than one cooling bed. Thiscan allow the modular system to accommodate different sizes and numbersof heating beds and cooling beds.

Additionally, each of the modular systems can be operably connected toor networked with additional modular systems. In one aspect, all of theconnected modular systems can be controlled by a single, designatedmodular system. In another aspect, each modular system can be connectedto a common main controller module.

In another embodiment, a method is disclosed for controlling climate inan enclosure. The method can include contemporaneously generating aheating effect and a cooling effect from a reversible thermochemicalreaction and selectively directing thermal flows from the reversiblethermochemical reaction to increase or decrease a temperature within theenclosure. The reversible thermochemical reaction can have anendothermic reaction and a complimentary exothermic reaction that arethermally remote from one another, yet fluidly connected via aselectively controllable flow control.

The endothermic reaction generates the cooling effect and the exothermicreaction generates the heating effect. The endothermic reaction caninclude evaporation of a polar volatile compound, such as ammonia,water, methanol, and other suitable alcohols, amines, and volatile polarcompounds and combinations thereof. The exothermic reaction can includeadsorption or absorption of the evaporated polar volatile compound ontoor into a metal salt. The metal salt can be compacted into pellets ordiscs and the pellets or discs can be tightly packed together. In oneaspect, the metal salt can be a metal chloride such as MgCl₂, MnCl₂,CaCl₂, and NiCl₂, or an ammonia complex or mixture thereof, such asMgCl₂(NH₃)₆, MnCl₂(NH₃)₆, CaCl₂(NH₃)₈ and NiCl₂(NH₃)₆. The previouslymentioned metal salts are only examples of metal chloride salts that canbe used with the current technology and are not intended to beexhaustive. There are many other metal chloride salts that can be usedseparately or in combinations, including combinations with thepreviously mentioned metal chloride salts. Such metal chloride salts caninclude SrCl₂, ZnCl₂, CoCl₂, FeCl₂, SnCl₂, and other metal chlorides andmixtures thereof. Metal salts other than metal chlorides can also beused, such as metal bromide salts, metal iodide salts, metal perchloratesalts, metal nitrate salts, metal sulfate salts, metal phosphate salts,and other suitable metal salts and mixtures thereof that are capable ofexothermically adsorbing or absorbing at least one volatile polarcompound.

The selectively controllable flow control adjusts the degree of fluidinteraction between the reactants of the reversible thermochemicalreaction. The greater the interaction, the greater the heating andcooling effects will be, but the reaction will proceed to completion ata much greater rate, thus decreasing the effective time period forcontrolling climate within the enclosure. The lower the interactionbetween the reactants, the lower the heating and cooling effects willbe, but the reaction will proceed to completion at a much slower rate,thus prolonging the effective time period for controlling climate withinthe enclosure. Once the reaction goes to completion or reaches a pointwhere recharging is desirable, the thermochemical reaction can bereversed by adding heat back to the products of the exothermic reaction.In one aspect, the products of the thermochemical reaction can be heatedto about 80 to about 250 degrees Celsius for a period of about 60 toabout 80 minutes to reverse the thermochemical reaction, thus allowingmultiple iterations of the disclosed method of controlling climatewithin an enclosure.

Thermal flows can be directed from the reversible thermochemicalreaction in a variety of ways. Heat generated from the exothermicreaction can be collected via a heat transfer fluid and the heated heattransfer fluid can be used to condition air to provide a heating effectwithin the enclosure. The heating effect provided via the heat transferfluid can be achieved by convection or by forced air. Similarly, thermalflows from the endothermic reaction can also be directed using a heattransfer fluid. Heat can be transferred from the heat transfer fluid todrive the endothermic reaction and the cooled heat transfer fluid can beused to cool conditioned air and provide a cooling effect in theenclosure. Similarly, the cooling effect provided via the heat transferfluid can be achieved by convection or by forced air.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Thermal Effects of Thermal Battery

FIG. 6 illustrates the temperature profiles of the thermal effectsgenerated from one embodiment of a thermal battery of the currenttechnology. More specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates the temperaturesmeasured at the surfaces of the heating bed and cooling bed,respectively.

A single heating bed including a compacted metal chloride salt (MgCl₂)was connected to a single cooling bed including ammonia via a connectingconduit. A flow control mechanism was included along the connectingconduit to control the fluid flow of the ammonia between the cooling bedand the heating bed. This particular thermal battery had an energycapacity of 70 Wh/170 Wh for cooling and heating, respectively. Thisdisparate ratio is due to the evaporation enthalpy of ammonia (23.53kJ/mol-NH₃) being smaller than that of ammonia adsorption on MgCl₂,forming MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ (55.7 kJ/mol-NH₃).

The battery was prepared by allowing the MgCl₂ to fully react withammonia to obtain ammonia salt powder MgCl₂(NH₃)₆. The ammonia saltpowder was then mixed with 20 wt % of expandable graphite and pressedinto dense discs. The discs were loaded into a finned stainless steeltube. This stainless steel tube was connected to another finnedstainless steel tube via a connecting conduit fitted with a flow controlvalve. The valve was opened and the system was recharged by heating theheating bed to between 200 and 250° C. for less than 80 minutes torelease the ammonia from the heating bed and drive it to the cooling bedto condense. The valve was then closed to store the battery for testing.

The data collected and illustrated in FIG. 6 are a representation of thesurface temperatures of the heating bed and the cooling bed after theflow control valve was opened and the ammonia was allowed to flow to theheating bed. A fan was also mounted at the end of the heating andcooling beds to direct the thermal effects of the heating and coolingbeds. These thermal effects could be quickly and easily terminated byclosing the flow control valve. However, if the flow control mechanismwas left open, this single heating bed and cooling bed was able toproduce thermal effects for at least 60 minutes without recharging.Further, the heating bed produced temperatures in excess of 120° C. andthe cooling bed produced temperatures down to −8° C. Additionally, thethermal effects each had a rapid onset, such that the thermal effectscould be felt within 1 or 2 minutes.

It is also noted that when air was blown across both the heating andcooling beds, the discharging process was much faster and could becompleted in only 15 minutes. Under these circumstances a thermalbattery system with an energy capacity of 2.5 kWh/6 kWh can provide acooling and heating power of 10 kWh/24 kWh, respectively.

Example 2 Porosity of Compacted Metal Salt Pellets

The importance of low porosity levels in the compacted metal saltpellets or discs is illustrated by FIG. 7. The data from FIG. 7 werecollected using MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ discs compacted at different pressures toobtain different porosities (36% , 31% , 27% and 25% ) to evaluate theeffect of porosity on ammonia absorption kinetics. The discs were heatedto about 250° C. for about 1.5 hours to convert the MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ toMgCl₂(NH₃). The discs were then exposed to ammonia gas at a constantpressure of about 1 bar for a period of only about thirty minutes todetermine the rate of absorption of ammonia (measured gravimetrically)without saturating the discs. The results of this study illustrate thatcompacted metal salts with lower porosities can absorb ammonia, or othervolatile polar compounds, more quickly than those with higherporosities. This is contrary to the previous understanding that thepermeation of the metal salt structure was the rate-limiting step ofabsorption and that a higher porosity was preferable.

Example 3 Thermal Battery Size

One example system can have the parameters outlined in Table 2 below.Specifically, the example system can include a heating bed packed at a95% packing density with compacted MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ pellets, each pellethaving a density of 1.25 kg/L, and the total combined pellet mass beingabout 25.6 g. The thermal battery can be charged using a resistanceheating wire to dissociate the ammonia from the metal salt and drive ittoward the cooling bed. Upon charging the thermal battery, about 6.6 kgof ammonia can be transferred to the cooling bed, leaving about 19.0 kgof metal salt in the heating bed. The total heating bed volume in thissystem can be about 16 L with a metal salt volume of about 15.2 L. Thetotal volume of the system can be about 27 L. Such a system can provideat least about 2.5 kWh of cooling energy and 2.5 kWh heating energy.

TABLE 2 Approximate mass and volume of ammonia/MgCl₂ based thermalbattery molar weight, density, ΔH, packing material material bed g/molkg/L kJ/mol-NH3 density, % weight, kg volume, L volume, L NH₃ (liquid)17.03 0.60 23.35 100 6.6 10.9 10.9 MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ 197.39 1.25 55.70 95 19.015.2 16.0 sum 19.0 26.2 27.0 Note: The 6.6 kg of ammonia in the cold bedis initially in the salt of the heating bed, so the sum of weight isonly the weight of the salt.

This thermal battery can be compared to alternative thermal batteriesprepared with other compacted metal salts, as outlined in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3 Basic properties of ammonia and salts and approximate weightsand volumes for a thermal battery with a minimum energy capacity of 2.5kWh for both cooling and heating. sum of sum of molar ΔH, packingmaterial material bed two bed two bed weight, density, kJ/mol- density,weight, volume, volume, weights, volumes, g/mol kg/L NH3 % kg L L kg LNH₃ (liquid) cooling 17.03 0.60 23.35 100 6.6 10.9 10.9 NiCl₂(NH₃)₆heating 231.78 1.53 59.20 95 22.3 14.6 15.6 22.3 26.5 MgCl₂(NH₃)₆heating 197.39 1.25 55.70 95 19.0 15.2 16.0 19.0 27.0 CoCl₂(NH₃)₆heating 232.02 1.49 53.97 95 22.4 15.0 15.8 22.4 26.7 FeCl₂(NH₃)₆heating 228.93 1.45 51.25 95 21.9 15.1 15.9 21.9 26.8 MnCl₂(NH₃)₆heating 228.03 1.41 47.40 95 21.8 15.5 16.3 21.8 27.2 SrBr₂(NH₃)₈heating 383.67 1.75 45.60 95 24.6 14.1 14.8 24.6 25.8 Note: The 6.6 kgof ammonia in the cooling bed is initially in the salt of the heatingbed, so the sum of two bed weights is equal to the weight of the salt.

As can be seen from Table 3, there are a variety of compacted metalsalts that can be used to prepare a suitable heating bed. However, it isnoted that the examples listed in Table 3 are non-limiting examples andthat there are other compacted metal salts that can also be used, asdiscussed previously.

The foregoing detailed description describes the invention withreference to specific exemplary embodiments. However, it will beappreciated that various modifications and changes can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention as set forth in theappended claims. The detailed description and accompanying drawings areto be regarded as merely illustrative, rather than as restrictive, andall such modifications or changes, if any, are intended to fall withinthe scope of the present invention as described and set forth herein.

1. A climate control system comprising: a thermal battery including atleast one heating bed including a compacted metal salt; at least onecooling bed including a volatile polar compound, wherein the at leastone heating bed and at least one cooling bed are fluidly connected toone another and the compacted metal salt and the volatile polar compoundform a reversible thermochemical reaction system; and a flow controlmechanism adapted to selectively allow fluid to flow between the atleast one heating bed and the at least one cooling bed to controlreaction of the reversible thermochemical reaction system; and a heatexchange module thermally associated with each of the at least oneheating bed and the at least one cooling bed and adapted to condition aninlet air.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compacted metal salt isselected from the group consisting of MgCl₂, CaCl₂, NiCl₂, FeCl₂, SrBr₂,CoCl₂, and MnCl₂, an ammonia complex thereof, and combinations thereof.3. The system of claim 1, wherein the compacted metal salt has aporosity of from 0 to 40%.
 4. (canceled)
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the volatile polar compound is ammonia.
 6. The system of claim1, wherein the at least one cooling bed is a cooling enclosure whichcontains the volatile polar compound.
 7. The system of claim 1, whereinthe at least one heating bed is a heating enclosure which contains thecompacted metal salt.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermalbattery further comprises at least one connecting conduit configured toconnect the at least one heating bed to the at least one cooling bed. 9.The system of claim 8, wherein the flow control mechanism comprises atleast one conduit valve operably associated with the at least oneconnecting conduit, wherein the at least one conduit valve isselectively adjustable to control fluid flow rates between the at leastone heating bed and the at least one cooling bed.
 10. (canceled)
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange module further includes aconditioned air manifold adapted to direct conditioned air into anenclosure selected from the group consisting of an passengercompartment, a cargo container, a room, a building, a camping trailer, atent, and combinations thereof.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein theconditioned air manifold further comprises: at least one duct adapted toselectively adjust the inlet air to achieve a desired thermal effect;and an outlet vent adapted to direct the conditioned air into theenclosure.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange modulefurther comprises: a first heat exchanger adapted to transfer heat fromthe at least one heating bed via a first heat transfer fluid; a secondheat exchanger adapted to transfer heat from the at least one coolingbed via a second heat transfer fluid.
 14. The system of claim 13,wherein at least one of the first and second heat transfer fluid is aliquid mixture of diphenylethane and alkylated aromatics.
 15. The systemof claim 13, wherein the first and second heat transfer fluids are eachabout 60% by volume ethylene glycol in water.
 16. The system of claim13, wherein the first heat transfer fluid includes a terphenyl.
 17. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein the second heat transfer fluid includes atleast one of a pentafluoropropane, a tetrafluoroethane, and combinationsthereof.
 18. The system of claim 13, wherein the heat exchange modulefurther comprises a third heat exchanger adapted to transfer heat froman external heat source to the at least one cooling bed.
 19. The systemof claim 13, further comprising a turbine operatively associated with atleast one of the first and second heat exchangers to produce electricityand wherein the system further comprises a storage battery operativelyconnected to the turbine to store the produced electricity. 20.(canceled)
 21. The system of claim 1, further comprising: acommunication module adapted to receive communication from a remotedevice; and a controller module operatively connected to at least one ofthe flow control mechanism and the conditioned air manifold and adaptedto communicate with the communication module to control one or both ofthe reaction of the thermochemical reaction system and flow of theconditioned air.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the remote deviceis a hand-held device.
 23. (canceled)
 24. A method of controllingclimate in an enclosure comprising: contemporaneously generating aheating effect and a cooling effect from a reversible thermochemicalreaction having an endothermic reaction and a complimentary exothermicreaction which are thermally remote from one another and fluidlyconnected via a selectively controllable flow control; and selectivelydirecting thermal flows from the reversible thermochemical reaction toincrease or decrease a temperature within the enclosure.
 25. The methodof claim 24, wherein the endothermic reaction includes evaporation of apolar volatile compound.
 26. (canceled)
 27. (canceled)
 28. (canceled)29. (canceled)
 30. (canceled)